Awakenings
by KatieBell70
Summary: Why did Arthur Weasley use his fists against Lucius Malfoy in Flourish and Botts? A look into Molly's journey to love.


The tall, elegant young man stood in the shadows, watching quietly, as a group of giggling girls made their way down the hall. His eyes were drawn to the fiery hair of the girl in the center, tumbling down her back in shimmering waves.

Her robes completely obscured any view of the body that was underneath them, but he was well aware of what they concealed. The memory of her lush curves, wet and glistening in the sunlight, had haunted him all summer. As his father had paraded him in front of nearly half a dozen pureblooded girls of prominent eastern European families, most of them proud, dark, and cold, he had remembered the warmth and beauty of this girl.

There was no help for it; he had to have her.

o00o

She sat at breakfast, whispering with her friends about the various boys they had kissed over the summer. Molly had nothing more exciting to report than a shy Muggle boy in the neighboring village, who had bumped noses with her and run away, blushing and stammering his apologies.

Sheila Parker was in the midst of relating a highly embellished, likely imaginary, tale of being felt up by a visiting second cousin from Beaubaxtons, when Molly felt the unmistakable prickle of someone's gaze.

She turned and met the icy blue eyes of a fair-haired boy at the Slytherin table. He was staring at her so intensely that he seemed to be willing her toward him. Unnerved, she turned away, blushing. As she got up to leave at the end of breakfast, she glanced back in his direction. He was still staring fixedly at her, but he had the beginnings of a smirk on his face.

o00o

A few days later, he bumped into her on the stairs to the fourth floor corridor. He overtook her, intending to walk up the stairs at a faster pace, and as he slipped by, it seemed his entire body brushed against her backside. She felt his breath on the back of her neck as he silkily whispered, "Pardon me, Miss Prewett," and gave her a sidelong glance.

o00o

For the next week or so, she found herself unwillingly glancing at him during every meal, and his eyes were always focused intently on her. She wondered, sometimes, if he was trying to read her mind. She had heard that some of those boys in Slytherin did that as a hobby. He was creeping stealthily into her dreams, too. They were unlike any dreams she had had before, vague, misty, and confusingly sensual. He frightened her a little, which was silly, since she was nearly a year older than he was, but she had heard rumours about his family's interest in the Dark Arts. What did he want with her, anyway? Her family didn't have much money, and she had heard that his family was obsessed with it.

o00o

One sunny Saturday, she and her friends were wading in the lake, laughing and splashing each other. Afterwards, they stretched out on the warm grass, allowing their clothes to dry, and she felt the familiar prickle on the back of her neck. She turned around and spotted him, fifty feet away, leaning against a tree, studying her. Angry and confused, she gathered her courage and rose to stalk towards him.

"Is there a reason you keep staring at me, Malfoy?" You're beginning to get on my nerves!"

"Why, Miss Prewett, I did not mean to offend you. I am simply…bewitched by your loveliness." His voice was a lazy drawl, but held a note of feigned surprise.

"Wha…What do you want?"

"I want you to accompany me to Hogsmeade in two weeks."

"And why would you want _that_?"

"Haven't I already explained that I find you remarkably lovely? I want to get to know you better, to see if your mind matches the perfection your outward appearance."

"Perfection? You're joking!"

"Surely I am not the first person to notice your symmetry, my dear? Are your Gryffindor boys as blind as they are judgmental?"

"Judgmental? And _this_ coming from a Slytherin? Get lost, Malfoy!"

He took a step towards her, with a look of apology. "I did not mean to offend, my dear Molly. I can only judge them by my observance of their behavior towards myself. You are, I am afraid, the only Griffyndor I have ever met that has had anything remotely civil to say to me."

"And you ought to see how your Slytherin crowd treats my friend Bonnie, a Muggle-born."

"Well, there you have it. Bot of us have made judgements about the other based upon the behavior of our housemates. And yet, I am so very intrigued by you that I have found the courage to cross the divide between us and tell you how I feel with complete honesty. The question now is, will _you_ have the courage to give me a chance, Molly?"

She stared at him skeptically for a long time. "I don't know, Malfoy. My family would…I just don't know. Let me have a few days to think on it?"

"Don't keep me in suspense for too long, Molly." He closed the distance between them and held out his hand, as if offering to shake hers. When she placed her hand in his, instead of shaking it, he turned it until it was palm down, and, bowing, brushed his lips across it. Then, looking up at her from his submissive position, he turned her hand again, exposing her wrist to his warm, moist, utterly inappropriate kiss. She pulled her hand away quickly and he straightened. "I await your answer, my dear."

o00o

Molly awoke with a start, rubbing her wrist unconsciously. The dreams were becoming more and more vivid, and she felt a delicious and frightening heaviness between her legs. She couldn't get the memory of those beautiful eyes, those intriguing lips out of her mind. Her brothers would surely hear about it if she went, and they had expressly forbidden her to see any Slytherins. But they didn't have to know, did they? It wasn't as if they would venture into Madam Puddifoot's on a Hogsmeade weekend? More likely than not, Fabian would be busy shagging Patricia Holloway in an upstairs room at the Hog's Head, and Gideon would be in the Potions classroom, earning extra credit. He never had any interest in Hogsmeade weekends any more.

No, this was wrong! This boy was entirely too dangerous. Power simply _radiated _from him, and he was too young for that power to be a result of anything benign. She would avoid him, at all costs. Maybe she would go with that nice Longbottom boy from Hufflepuff who kept asking her out during Transfiguration.

o00o

Five days later, she passed him on the way out of the greenhouse. To her shock, he dragged her behind a clump of bushes and pulled at her until her body was pressed closely against his. "You've been avoiding me, Molly my dear."

"No, I haven't."

"Don't ever lie to me!" he snarled. His voice softened and deepened. "I find mendacity difficult to forgive. I've listened to too much of it in my life, and I was under the impression that you are remarkably forthright."

She smiled and blushed, and he continued. "But please, allow me to change the subject, my lovely girl. I've missed seeing you. Where have you been eating your meals?"

"None of your business!" She tried to sound outraged, but her voice came out breathy and nervous.

He stared deeply into her eyes, seemingly pulling her darkest desires from them. "I am a patient man, Molly, but there are limits. Say yes, and put me out of my misery."

"I don't know, Lucius, I just don't know."

o00o

_She called me by my given name! It is only a matter of time. I will have her screaming it out in ecstasy before long. She is pure, untouched, flawless. None of these Gryffindor pricks will have known what to do to make a woman melt into a puddle of desire , but I do. I've known for years. I will have her begging me to take her, to make her mine, and then she will never be able to leave me. She will be mine, to tutor, to mold, to sculpt into the perfect consort. Our children will have the perfect combination of her fiery strength and my cold cunning. Together we will rule the world._

o00o

Three days later, days where she had to endure his smoldering gaze throughout every meal, days where she worried every time she turned a corner, she began to relax her guard, if only from sheer exhaustion. Naturally, that is when he took her completely by surprise. Over breakfast, an unfamiliar eagle owl was forced to gain her attention by nipping her finger. She untied the small rectangular box attached to the owl's leg in a state of shock. She looked around, and found herself pinned by a pair of icy blue eyes, watching her with wry amusement. She quickly tucked the box into the sleeve of her robes and remained at the table, averting her eyes from the Slytherin table as a matter of pride, until the Hall was nearly empty.

She raced to the nearest girl's bathroom and opened the box in the privacy of a stall. Inside was a spectacular black opal pendant, and the card read, 'Opals are said to help the wearer to see possibilities and discover a broader view. I hope this will encourage you to take a chance. – LM'

Molly tucked the box into her pocket with shaking hands and her pulse pounding in her ears. She knew she ought to send it back. It really was too extravagant. Never mind that it was her first real piece of jewelry. It was just another demonstration of his complete lack of propriety. She would compose a scathing letter tonight, in the dorm.

o00o

After about four days of confusion, she found herself looking out one of the windows on the third floor corridor, lost in thought. She sensed a presence behind her, and before she could turn, she found herself pressed gently against the cool glass of the window, and felt the warmth of Malfoy's breath on the back of her neck. He draped her hair over one shoulder, and brushed his lips over the other one.

"Your neck is bare, I see. Did you not like my gift?"

"I can't accept it and you know it, Lucius."

"Send it back, if you must, my dear, but I promise you that some day you will wear it with pride. In the meantime, say you will go with me to Hogsmeade this weekend." As he spoke, he continued to nibble up her neck, finally stopping at the tender skin behind her ear, where she could have sworn she had felt his tongue dart out briefly to taste. Then he pulled her earlobe into his mouth, sucking gently and causing her muscles to liquefy. If he hadn't had her pressed up against the glass, she felt would have lost the ability to stand. She leaned against him, arching her back a little while his hand slid around her waist, cupping her stomach, which was doing a complicated series of flip-flops. When he slipped his tongue into her ear, she gave a little moan.

He whispered into her ear, "That's it, love, tell me how good it feels. I could give you so much pleasure, if you would only let me. I want to worship your body with my own, Molly. You deserve it. Let me show you what I feel for you."

She pushed him away, turning around to face him. "Lucius, I'm not some _scarlet woman_ who will let you press your advantage. If you think I would go to Hogsmeade to…shag you, you are entirely misinformed!"

"My dear Molly, I would never dream of rushing you into anything…sordid. Of course, it goes without saying I want to make love to you. But, as I said, I am a patient man, and I want to get to know you, first. Please, let me show you how much I respect and admire you."

He took a step closer, and held her face in his hands, brushing his lips across hers. She found herself sliding her arms around his waist, and clutching his robes in great fistfuls against his back. She expected him to deepen the kiss, to thrust his tongue in her mouth, but he never did. He pulled away from her, and looked at her expectantly.

Molly had a scathing rebuke on the tip of her tongue, but found herself saying something entirely different. "Right…then. I guess I'll meet you in the entrance hall on Saturday. And, I expect you to behave like a gentleman, Lucius Malfoy!" She waved her index finger in front of his face for emphasis, and walked away, shaking internally, but with her shoulders held back.

o00o

She timed her arrival carefully. There were only a few people left in line, waiting to be inspected by Pringle before they were allowed to leave the grounds.

"Why Molly, if I didn't know better, I would think you were trying to make sure that none of your friends see us together. You're not _ashamed _of me, are you?"

"I'm just not ready to open a can of worms before I have to, Lucius. And I seriously doubt you would enjoy being grilled by one of my brothers all day. Both of them are in Hogsmeade, and they are rather quick tempered, and very protective of me."

"Oh, I see." He raised his eyebrows in an expression of thoughtfulness. "I think, then, that you will appreciate the arrangements I have made."

When they reached the village, he bypassed Madam Puddifoot's, and pulled her into the Three Broomsticks, where the attractive barmaid, with a nervous glance toward Lucius, and an attitude of servility, led them into a back room. Molly entered hesitantly, wondering what she would find, half expecting a 'den of seduction.' What she found, however, was an elegantly presented and inviting feast, softly lit by an absurd number of fragrant candles and a roaring fireplace. She looked at Lucius with a smile of wonder, and he gave her a self-satisfied smirk in return.

o00o

She had worried, a little; that he would drag her to all of the shops, hell-bent to throw his money around, but their leisurely meal and the interesting conversation that accompanied it took up nearly the whole day. She was forced to admit that he had, indeed behaved like a complete gentleman: attentive, solicitous and charming.

He hadn't even held her hand on the way back to the castle, he simply guided her with his fingers feather-light at her elbow. As she thanked him and said good-bye in a darkened hallway, preparing to return to Griffyndor tower, he tilted up her chin and gave her a very soft, moist kiss on the lips. With a small sigh, she stood on her tiptoes to return the kiss, sliding her arms around his neck and leaning into him. He pulled her closer with a groan, and deepened her kiss, parting her lips and sliding his tongue over hers. When his hands began to inch down toward her bottom, she pulled away, eyes glazed and breathless.

"Good-bye, Lucius," she said dreamily.

"Good-bye, my dear Molly." He spun on his heel and walked away, never allowing her to see the triumphant look in his eyes.

Deep in the shadows, though, someone else did, and as the tall, slender, redheaded young man considered this new development, he felt a cold chill settle into his bones.

o00o

The next day, she sat, curled up in a chair in the corner of the common room, reading her History of Magic book. She looked up when someone pulled up a chair next to her.

"Oh, hello, Arthur. How are you?"

"Molly, I need to talk to you about something, and I am afraid I might be overstepping my bounds somewhat. I mean, we really don't know each other all that well."

"Let's hear it, then."

"Well, you see, it's about Lucius Malfoy."

"Oh…"

"I noticed that you accompanied him to Hogsmeade yesterday and I…I wonder how well you _really_ know him."

"Not well, and that is why I spent the day with him. We are becoming better friends."

"Pardon my saying so, but in the corridor last night it looked as if things were a great deal further along than that."

"So, I kissed him goodbye! It's a very common occurrence after Hogsmeade visits. Or, don't you kiss Alice goodnight?"

"I realize that, Molly, but I just want to warn you to be very careful with Lucius Malfoy. He is not the kind of person you want to forget yourself with. My family has a long history with his, and I know what I am talking about. They have some frightening ideas about the state of the Wizarding world. His family are also known to associate with some very _dangerous _individuals."

"Arthur, you of all people should know that you cannot always judge someone by their family and friends. He has never been anythin_g_ but kind and attentive towards me! Did it ever occur to you that he is looking to move away from the direction that his family has been pulling him? We talked about it quite a bit that afternoon."

"Molly, I am surprised at you. You always do such thorough research on your schoolwork, how can you allow yourself to date a man whom you know so little about? I suggest you look a little closer into his background and history before you allow this to go too far. I merely want to warn you to be careful, as a friend."

"Well, I'll thank you for your concern, but I really can take care of myself. And I would appreciate it if you didn't mention any of this to my brothers."

"I would never do that, Molly," he said, stiffly. "It is your private business, after all. But, please do keep your eyes open from now on. I will leave you to your revision."

o00o

_Now why on earth would Arthur Weasley do something like that?_ She thought. Did he truly dislike Lucius that much, or did he really have valid reasons? _Could he be jealous?_ He had never been anything but distantly friendly with her, helping her with her transfiguration essay and talking with enthusiasm about Muggle studies. _And, what about Alice?_ No, he had never struck her as being remotely interested in her . He was more of Gideon's friend, anyway.

She tried to ignore the uncomfortable feeling in her stomach.

o00o

The next day, Lucius pulled her behind the greenhouses as she had been headed for lunch. Once the last of her classmates could be heard tromping away, their mouths came together urgently. He pushed her up against the greenhouse glass, seemingly trying to devour her whole while burying his hands in her hair.

When his hands began to wander down her body, she hardly noticed, as she was too busy reveling in the feel of his own silky hair against her fingers. He began to kiss his way down her neck, sucking and biting softly. She had no concept of time, no grasp on reality. All she could think about was the wonderful, intoxicating sensation of his mouth, his hands on her.

Reality came back with a resounding crash when she heard a tap on the glass behind her. She spun around to see her Herbology professor glaring at her, motioning for them to go away immediately. Utterly mortified, she ran towards the castle, Lucius calling softly after her, but she never once turned back around. She decided to skip lunch and head straight to the common room.

Arthur Weasley, sitting on a chair, which faced the portrait hole, looked up from his book. His eyes took in her rumpled appearance and flushed cheeks, then strayed downward. She realized, to her horror, that the top three buttons of her blouse were undone, exposing her white, lacy bra. He gulped audibly and looked away, and she tore up the stairs to her bed.

o00o

That night, Molly took a few sandwiches and rolls from the dinner table, intending to eat in the common room. She hoped to not only avoid Lucius' knowing gaze, but Arthur Weasley's undoubtedly reproachful one. Unfortunately, Arthur seemed to have a similar idea, for she found him reading a Potions textbook and nibbling a corned beef sandwich in front of the fireplace. He looked up when she entered, and as she turned back around to leave the room, he called after her, "Molly…don't leave on my account, please. I'm just revising. I won't bother you at all."

She took a few more steps into the room and pulled up a chair to the table across from him. "Arthur, about what you saw…It wasn't what it looked like…"

"You don't owe me any sort of explanation, really, Molly. I am not at all offended by sex. It's perfectly natural and healthy. I just wish that you'd chosen your partner more carefully. I don't want you to be hurt."

"He's really very kind, and generous and thoughtful, Arthur. I wish you could see how he is with me."

"Most people are on their best behaviour while courting. I wish _you_ could see what he's like when you're not around."

"What has he ever done to you Arthur?

"I'm sorry, I'm not going to tell you tales about your boyfriend. I wish you'd find out for yourself. "

"I won't go spying on him Arthur! I'm surprised you would suggest it."

"And I'm surprised that you would trust a virtual stranger with your heart, let alone your body."

"It was just _kissing_, Arthur!"

"I am more concerned with your heart than your 'virtue', Molly; that, and your physical safety, of course..."

"He's a _good person_, Arthur."

"I must respectfully disagree, I am afraid."

"Well, then, shall we agree to disagree, and change the subject?"

"By all means."

" I heard you are trying out for Keeper this year?"

"_Trying_ is a good way to put it. I'm really not very good at it. But, I am not at all proud to admit that my competitors are far _worse_."

"I'm sure you'll do fine. And my brothers will be there to see that you don't get knocked of your broom by a Bludger." "

Thank you for your unfounded faith in me, Molly."

"What does Alice think of this?"

"I wouldn't know. She ditched me two days ago."

"Oh, Arthur!"

"Well, it seems that she has been spending a lot of time with Frank… you know, Longbottom, from Hufflepuff? He wants to be an Auror, too, and while she is strong in Transfiguration, which is one of his weaker points, he is strong in Potions, which is one of her weaker points. So they have been helping each other a great deal, and since they have so much in common, well…"

"Oh, but that's awful!"

"You know, I am not really as upset about it as I ought to be. I mean, can you really see _me_ married to an Auror? It would be far too stressful for me to be worrying after her all the time. I prefer a quiet life, and I ought to find a nice, steady girl with less exciting ambitions. Maybe a Healer, or a Herbologist, that's more my style."

"I'm sure you'll find someone lovely, Arthur."

o00o

Lucius found Molly, a few days later, looking out over a battlement, towards the lake. He crept toward her silently and the first indication she had of his presence was his breath at her ear.

"You've been avoiding me again, my dear."

"It didn't turn out so well for me the last time we met."

"Did you get into trouble with Professor Forsythe?

"No, not at all."

"I didn't think so. I spoke to her after I lost all hope of catching up to you."

"You did?"

"She won't give you any trouble about what she saw."

"Is that so?"

"I would do anything to protect your reputation, my dear."

"Anything except resisting the urge to paw at me, and open my blouse in public."

"Well, you've never given me the chance to do it in private."

"And I _never_ will!"

"Somehow I doubt that, my dear Molly. You forget, I was there, and you were just as…enthusiastic about it as I was."

She tried to jerk away from him in indignation, but he had braced his arms against the battlement, leaving her pinned between them. He lowered his mouth to her neck, and her traitorous body shivered involuntarily. He drew a line with his lips up to her ear, and whispered, "Do you know how exciting it was to watch you surrender, Molly? To feel you shudder under my hands and moan into my mouth?"

He placed one of his hands on her belly and dipped his tongue into her ear. She felt her blood begin to race and arched her body against his. He pulled her even closer. She didn't even want to _consider_ what her backside was pressed up against. He began to whisper into her ear, telling her how beautiful she was, how much he desired her, and his hand began to make painfully slow progress up from her belly to her midriff, and still higher. When his hand finally closed over her breast, she'd been nearly ready to _beg_ him to touch it. His fingers began to explore the soft flesh, circling and squeezing, and then finally kneading the nipple with his fingers through her clothes.

"Please,' she moaned, and he with a low chuckle he placed his other hand against her belly. Instead of sliding his hand _up_ to cup the other breast, which seemed to be crying out for the touch of his fingers, his hand began inching slowly downward. By the time she realized what he was doing, she would rather have thrown herself off the parapet than to tell him to stop.

She finally came to her senses when the body part she was pressed against became too obvious to ignore.

"Please," she whispered again, but this time her tone was more forceful, accompanied by a physical push to get away from him.

"I really have to go," she said.

"Will you hide from me again?"

"No…"

"Meet me tonight on the Astronomy Tower, Molly."

"No, I don't think so."

"Then tomorrow evening, by the lake."

"I don't know…"

"I _must_ see you again."

"Let me think, Lucius. This is all happening so quickly."

"I have wanted you for months, Molly."

"I have to go…"

o00o

At seven the following evening, she was hurrying down to the dungeons in response to a note from Professor Slughorn. Apparently her sample of the Draught of Living Death had changed colours over the course of the day, and he needed her to show him her notes. It all seemed very suspicious to her. If there was one thing she knew, it was how to follow Potions directions to the letter. If it had been any other teacher, she might have been worried that he had called her down for nefarious purposes. But, as Slughorn had already made a pass at _one_ member of her family, she figured that the odds of him making improper advances to _her_ were pretty narrow. She opened the door to the Potions classroom, and found it completely dark. Her defense mechanisms went on high alert, and she held her glowing wand out in front of her as she called out the Potions master's name.

Suddenly, a dozen candles around the classroom lit at once. She spun around, looking for the source of the light and found Lucius in a corner, his hair glowing almost silver in the bright light of her wand.

"Are you trying to scare me to death? What the hell do you think you are playing at, Lucius? Where is Slughorn?"

"He will not be joining us, I am afraid."

"What about my Draught?"

"Perfect, as usual. You know, old Sluggy speaks very highly of you, my love."

"Did you forge the note, or force him to write it?"

"I never _force_ anyone to do a_nything_, my dear, and I am offended that you think me capable of that!"

"Forgery, then."

"He was happy to do me a favour, my dear."

"No teacher would ever assist two students to spend time alone in a dark classroom. He would be sacked immediately."

"He is a practical man, Molly. I'm sure he found the potential rewards would far outweigh the consequences."

"Blackmail?"

"You wound me!"

"Bribery?

"Slughorn is merely a man who knows the advisability of keeping himself in favour with important and powerful people."

"What do you want, Malfoy?"

"You."

"I'm not going to shag you."

"And I'm not going to ask you to. I have been aching to hold you in my arms for days. You have bewitched me, my love. I cannot bear to be apart from you."

'You really do have a silver tongue, Lucius, I wonder if it is also forked."

"I know of one way to find out, my dear." He crossed the room and embraced her, giving her the sweetest and most tender kiss she had ever had the fortune to receive. She dropped her wand and her knees literally gave way. She had to throw her arms around his neck to hold herself up. He slid his velvety tongue inside he mouth, stroking her own as his hands slid down to cup and then squeeze the lush curve of her bottom. She gave a surprised squeal that was muted by his mouth covering hers. He leaned her up against the Potion master's desk and pulled away long enough to run his hand up from her midriff to the tie of her robes. He slid her robes off her shoulder while he leaned back over to plunder her mouth, and she was shocked to find her own hands drifting down his back, finally resting on the hard muscle of his buttocks, which twitched in reponse and excited her beyond measure.

Once again, she hadn't even realized that he'd started unbuttoning her blouse until it was wide open, and she felt his elegant fingers exploring the silky lace of her bra. Taking away two layers of fabric made more of a difference than she ever would have guessed. Her nipples reacted before his fingers had even approached them. And, when he brushed his thumbnail across one of them, she jerked up in shock and pleasure.

He pulled away for an instant, looking deeply into her eyes, searing her with the cold fire of his own, and she found herself attacking him inexpertly with her own mouth. She pulled him towards her, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck as she enthusiastically kissed his cheek, his jaw line, and the spot under his ear where his pulse fluttered erratically. She felt such a powerful pressure building inside, as if she were a balloon being filled with air and stretched taut, and she fought to resist the absurd urge to bite down on the spot where his neck and shoulder met.

His hands wandered back to her bottom, but instead of simply cupping it, he lifted her onto Slughorn's desk, leaning over her, while she felt compelled to arch backwards. He released her and she propped herself up with straightened arms, which resulted in pushing her chest into greater prominence. As he lowered his mouth to her collarbone, pulling off her red and gold tie, his other hand nudged first one knee, then the other to the side, allowing him to insert his hips between her legs. When she made a feeble attempt to close her legs, he cupped her face in his hands, kissing her deeply, passionately and reverently. Eventually, she stopped resisting, and he allowed his hands to slide down her back, cup her buttocks, and pull her body into complete contact with his. This time, when she felt the hard length of him against her flesh, she was intrigued rather than frightened.

One of his hands slid up her midriff and brushed lightly over her breast, sliding up her neck and caressing her cheek. He fingered her earlobe and drifted back south, dipping his thumb under the lace of her bra, and brushing lightly across her nipple. She moaned and he let his teeth slide across the skin of her neck.

He pulled away and looked into her eyes again, taking in her flushed face and darkened eyes, while he slid the strap of her bra down her shoulder, along with the white cotton blouse. He continued to tug down until he was rewarded with the sight of one perfect rosy nipple. He lowered his mouth and darted his tongue out to barely brush it. She sucked in a breath from shock, meaning to pull away, but when he took the nipple into his mouth, gently sucking; she let out a low groan and wrapped her legs around his narrow hips.

"Molly, my love, you are exquisite, " he murmured as she slid her fingers into his hair, tugging a little as his mouth tugged at her nipple.

While he had been distracting her with his attentions to her breast, his other hand had started to make its way from her knee up to her thigh, inching under her skirt. She kept reaching down to halt its progress, but then he would distract her again with his wicked mouth, and she would forget about stopping him just long enough for him to gain a few more inches. Before she realized it, his longest finger was running along the edge of her knickers, and by all that was magic, _it felt amazing_.

Raising his head from her breast, he kissed her again. Her mind began to spin; he was assaulting her senses on three levels, with his tongue plunging into her mouth, his hand kneading her breast and the other hand cupping the juncture of her thighs and prodding against the silk of her knickers. Eventually, a finger managed to push aside the elastic edge, exploring the hot, moist flesh underneath.

She gave a cry of ecstasy and alarm, which was swallowed up by his plundering mouth. His finger ventured a little further, just barely penetrating her. She finally understood why all these girls gave up their virtue with such apparent thoughtlessness. At that moment, her body was crying out to be filled by him, right there, on the desk she had spent years staring vacantly at, while the teacher droned on and on…

_Slughorn! Bloody hell, he could walk in at any time!_ In fact, she wouldn't put it past him to be watching from a darkened corner. He never could take his eyes off handsome young men. She felt as if she had been doused with cold water, and pulled away from Lucius abruptly, scrambling over the desk and holding her blouse together.

"Molly, my love, what happened? What is wrong?"

"I can't…I can't do this. Not now, not like this."

"But, Molly, love…"

"I'm not going to give you the gift of my virginity on a desk in a room that smells of Potions ingredients when someone could walk in at any time. I can't believe I let it go this far. I am not this girl, I don't usually behave this way."

"Love makes you do things you normally wouldn't Molly. Haven't I told you how much you have changed me already? You've made me want to become a better person."

"And you seem to be making me into a worse one."

"Never, Molly! There's _nothing _wrong with anything we have done here tonight. It was beautiful. You are beautiful."

"I always imagined I would make love for the first time with my husband, on our wedding night. Not in a dungeon with some boy I've hardly known a month."

"I am not _some boy_, Molly. I love you. Has it ever occurred to you that _I _could be your future husband? It certainly has to me. No one else can compare to you, Molly." He took a step toward her, but she backed away.

"If you care about me, you will give me a little time to be sure of how I feel. You need to stop pushing me, Lucius.

He stood up straighter, shoulders back, his lips forming a thin line. "As you wish, Molly. Shall I accompany you back to your tower?"

"No, thank you. I will see you tomorrow, Lucius. I promise, I won't hide out from you any more." She walked up to him, and stood on her toes to kiss his cheek. The thin line of his lips broke into the barest hint of a smile, and he ran his fingers down the length of her coppery hair.

o00o

For the next few days, Lucius sought her out, walking her to some of her classes and strolling around the grounds with her after lunch and during the early evenings. He always gave her a passionate good night kiss, but never tried to take it any further. Occasionally she would find Arthur Weasley's eyes on them, and she always gave him a reassuring smile. Once she caught Lucius with his eyes fixed on Arthur, and his lips were drawn into that irritated line again. When he realized that she was watching him, his face transformed into a broad smile and he put his arm around her shoulder, possessively.

o00o

One Sunday afternoon, about a week later, she was wandering around the edge of the Forbidden Forest, searching for ingredients for her extra-credit Potions project. She wandered farther than she ever had before, but it had been a particularly bright and sunny fall day, and she felt confident that she would not come across anything too frightening. Sadly, she was very wrong.

She heard the voices, low and furtive, and assumed that it was a trysting couple. When she heard Lucius' laugh, she stopped dead in her tracks. _He couldn't; he wouldn't!_

It was imperative that she discover with whom he was conversing. Stepping carefully through the underbrush, she made her way across the glen in the direction of the voices. At one point, her progress was halted by a horrible, high-pitched scream. She picked up her pace, while panic and dread warred with the instinctive need she felt to stay calm, silent. Finally, she reached a small clearing,. Hiding behind the trunk of a large tree, she watched the four figures facing each other in the dappled sunlight. It really _was_ Lucius; that hair was unmistakable, even though he had his back to her. One of the other young men, the one facing her, she recognized as Travers, a seventh-year Slytherin. She also recognized a third year, she thought his name was Rosier. The third man she had never seen and wondered if he were even a student. He looked like he could have been twenty-five.

The very fleeting relief she felt when she saw that all of Lucius' companions were male was quickly replaced with horror when she saw the writhing, twitching, whimpering creature lying on the forest floor.

It was a house-elf, one she didn't recognize, but it was wearing the neat toga-like garment that all Hogwarts elves wore. She guessed that this must have been the source of the piercing scream she had heard earlier.

"Now it's your turn, Evan," she heard Travers say, with a maniacal note in his voice.

"I don't know…what if someone finds out? I don't want to go to…" He lowered his voice to a frightened whisper." "...Azkaban!"

"Don't worry," said the older man. "I know what I am doing. It won't register here, while you are with me. Do you think the Dark Lord is a rank amateur?"

"But she's in so much pain already," Rosier whined.

Lucius finally spoke, and his angry words horrified Molly. "How do you expect to face doing this to Muggles and mudbloods if you can't even deal with the discomfort of this stupid creature! Where are your bollocks, Rosier? Or perhaps…" He paused, and his voice grew silky, malevolent. "Perhaps you need a little _physical_ persuasion. Shall I try the curse out on _you_, so you can know what it feels like? That is how the Dark Lord teaches disobedient servants a lesson, after all."

The frightened young man hurriedly pointed his wand, hand shaking, at the small being below him. _"Crucio!"_

The elf let out a small squeak and shook from fear, but it was clear that it had only lasted a few seconds

Travers nearly shouted with frustration. "You have to mean it, you fool! Gather up all your anger and aggression. Think of how you felt when that filthy mudblood Ravenclaw humiliated you in the corridor. Think of how you would like him to feel right now!

"_Crucio!"_

"The house-elf let out a horrific scream. Molly felt her eyes filling with tears. She wanted to run and throw herself on top of the poor creature, but she could not be sure that Lucius wasn't capable of torturing or allowing his friends to torture her to make sure she wouldn't talk. Four wizards, two of them fully grown against one underage witch: there wasn't anything she could do to stop them.

Rosier lowered his wand and took a deep breath, straightening his shoulders. He shuddered, and a frightening smile spread across his face.

The older man grinned back at Rosier. "You feel it, don't you, lad? It's really quite a…rush! You're going to walk away from this with a two-day hard-on."

"Gods, I already feel like I could fuck for hours, just from that last one," said Lucius, and Molly was very thankful that she didn't have to see his face. "I 'm hoping I can manage to talk my frigid little Gryffindor into giving it up tonight, but if not, Bella's usually up for it. I'll hit her later, either way."

"Not if I get to her first, you won't," Travers said with a lecherous grin. "Have you got a girl in mind, Rosier?"

"Could be," he replied, blushing a little. "Um…What are we going to do about…them?" A tiny note of fear began to creep into his voice as he pointed to the ground in front of him.

"Kill the cat, modify the house-elf's memory, throw the toad into the lake," replied Travers, matter-of-factly.

"Why…why kill the cat?"

"Firstly because we can. Secondly because I hate cats, they make me sneeze. And thirdly, and most importantly, because our Transfiguration teacher is capable of speaking to this cat in it's own language. Are you up for trying out the Killing Curse?"

"No…no I don't think so, not today."

"Well then, we will leave her to our visiting teacher."

o00o

Molly skipped supper that night. In fact, she never left the privacy of her bed. Her tears of pain and anger flowed for hours_. How could I have been so stupid, so blind!_

Not only was he a cheat and a liar, but he was one of _them_! _Those people_, what did they call themselves? Something like Death Defiers, or Grave Robbers? They followed that…_horrible _wizard…the one that nobody wanted to talk about, the one who wanted to the rid the world of everyone but pureblood witches and wizards. And the boy that she thought was so sweet, so kind and generous was just a _bully_. He was a crude, cowardly, conscienceless thug, who preyed on those weaker and smaller than he was, surrounding himself with other thugs.

And Arthur probably knew all along. He knew that she let that horrible, evil boy put his filthy hands all over her, stick his forked tongue in her mouth. He tried to warn her and she had defended Lucius! She felt vile, unclean. He used torture to get _aroused_, the sick bastard! What had he been thinking about when he pressed his… his wand against her?

She had no idea how she was going to face it all tomorrow. She couldn't tell Lucius what she saw, it wasn't safe. She had to break it off with him without throwing the truth in his face, which was very, very difficult to do at this point.

o00o

"I thought you promised you wouldn't avoid me, Molly," said Lucius, who was waiting by the door of the Potions classroom before lunch. I haven't seen you all week.

After her heart restarted, and her stomach regained it place in her abdomen, she pulled him to the side of the corridor. She said, in a quiet, firm voice, "I don't want to see you any more, Lucius. I…We're too different. I don't think I am ever going to be able to trust you. I've noticed things about you in the last week, things that make me uneasy, and I want you to stay away from me from now on."

"Somebody has been saying things about me, haven't they? I'll bet it's Weasley, isn't it?"

"Arthur has nothing to do with this."

"He's never liked me, he's jealous because my family has money and his doesn't. We grew up near each other, in fact we are very distantly related. And now, he's especially jealous because he wants you. Can't you see it, Molly? How can you believe him when you know me better than anyone does? I've shown you parts of myself that no one else has seen."

"Arthur did not say a word against you, although he did encourage me to get to know you better before I got too deeply involved. I wish I had heeded his advice earlier. And, for the record, he does not want me, he's nearly one of my brothers! And as far as what you have 'shown me', I don't believe _any_ of it to be true. I suspect you show a different face to every person that you meet, depending on what you want from him or her. For some reason, you decided that you needed to get into my pants, so you said what you thought I wanted to hear. But you've gotten as far as you are going to get, Lucius, and if you persist in bothering me, I am not only going to sic my brothers on you, I will happily hex you myself, and in a _very_ personal area. Goodbye."

He watched her walk away, his face tightening with rage.

o00o

Molly sat next to Arthur on the couch in the common room, the next evening. "What's that you've got there, Arthur?"

"Oh, Hello Molly! This is called a record. The Muggles put it into one of their machines and music comes out. Apparently this group is very popular right now."

Molly looked at the photograph of the four longhaired young men, unimpressed. Why doesn't the picture move?"

"Muggle pictures don't."

"Is the music any good?"

"Oh it's marvelous. Professor Sutcliffe played it on one of their record machines that he charmed. Maybe someday you'd like to visit him with me, and you can hear it for yourself."

"That would be lovely." She took another look at the motionless picture. "Their hair is too long, they need to get it out of their eyes."

"Your boyfriend's hair is longer."

"He's not…my boyfriend anymore, Arthur. I had an eye-opening experience involving him the other day and…"

"Did he hurt you?"

"No, in fact he doesn't even know what I saw. He's just…Well, he's evil, I think."

"What did he say when you chucked him?"

"I didn't give him a chance to say much. And I am afraid I didn't have the courage to tell him what I saw him doing."

"That was probably the wisest thing to do, Molly. Now I want you to be careful. Try not to be alone outside of a crowd. And if you feel afraid for any reason, ask Gideon or Fabian to keep an eye on you."

"As if they don't do that enough already."

"Well, you can always come and ask for my help, too."

"I can take care of myself, Arthur."

"He's vicious, Molly. Don't underestimate him."

o00o

Nearly a month later, Molly, who had been sleeping somewhat fitfully, woke up with a start in the nearly empty library. Her head had been resting on her book and a puddle of drool had dripped onto the table. Mortified, and praying that no one had seen her, she hurriedly gathered up her books and rushed out into the hallway.

She never even heard him coming. A hand reached out and grabbed her, yanking her into the shadows while another hand covered her mouth. "I need to talk to you, Molly. Please don't scream."

She tried to bite his hand, and he reached up with the first hand to grab her throat and squeeze.

"Not a word, Molly. Come with me like a good girl and I won't hurt you."

He pushed her into an empty classroom, locking the door.

As she struggled to get away, he drew his wand and performed a silencing charm.

She broke free, and he shouted, "_Accio wand!_" To her terror, she found him closing in on her, with both wands in his hands.

_Stupid, stupid Molly! Alone and defenseless with a villain. Your brothers taught you better than this! And why the hell didn't you listen to Arthur Weasley!_

She mustered some false bravado and spat out, "You are going to be very sorry you did this, Malfoy."

"Did what, my dear? I merely wanted time alone with the girl I love. I wanted a chance to mend this rift between us. I've been miserable without you."

"I would have thought that Bella could have eased your pain, a little."

"Is _that_ what this is all about? You are jealous of Bellatrix Black? Oh, Molly, where did you get that idea? It's absurd! We've known each other since childhood. Her father would murder me if I laid a hand on her. I can't believe you would listen to ridiculous gossip about us. Her name has been linked with nearly every boy in the school at one time or another. I imagine the other Slytherin girls are jealous of her popularity."

"You just never do stop lying, do you?"

"It is the truth, Molly."

"Let me out of here, Lucius."

"Please, give me another chance, Molly. I don't care what you think I did. I need you too much to let you go. I could make you so happy. I could give you the life of a queen. You have no idea of the kind of wealth and power my family has access to. You would have everything you've ever wanted."

"…Except a man I could love and trust, or for that matter, stand to look at."

"Molly, you're being cruel…"

"That's rich, coming from you!"

"When have I ever shown you anything but love, Molly?" He took a step closer to her.

"Leave me alone, Lucius," she said, backing up.

"Please, let me hold you, Molly." He held out his arms in supplication.

"I'm warning you…" She ran out of space, her back was against a dusty desk. He lunged, wrapping his arms around her and pressing his lips to hers. She closed her mouth tightly and tried to push him away. He tightened his hold on her and kissed the vulnerable spot on her neck, the one that had made her melt so many times before. She raised her knee, trying to bring it up hard into his groin, but he pinned her down on the desk, climbing on top of her. She struggled underneath him, trying to buck him off of her, but he was far too heavy. He managed to pin her arms to the desk and her terror increased a thousand-fold. She couldn't move, she couldn't use magic, her arms and legs were immobilized and she couldn't even reach a likely spot to bite him. He raised her arms above her head and pinned them together with one hand, giving the other hand a chance to grope her body, roughly. She fought even harder. He started struggling to unbutton her blouse, then lost patience and tore it open. Tears began to spill from her eyes as she sobbed.

"_Don't move a fucking muscle, Malfoy."_

Molly opened her eyes to see Lucius, wide-eyed and pale, with a wand sticking painfully into his neck, held by a livid and menacing Arthur Weasley.

"Now get off of her, slowly."

Lucius complied, his eyes narrowing in contempt.  
"Hand me your wand."

With a sneer, Lucius reached into the pocket of his robes and handed his wand to Arthur, who

finally released the pressure of his wand on Lucius' neck, but still held it towards him, threateningly. He forced him to sit in a nearby chair. Not taking his eyes off Lucius, he said, to Molly, "Are you hurt?"

"No, I'll be fine. Thank you Arthur."

Turing to Lucius, he said, "You'll be expelled for this, Malfoy."

Lucius laughed, with an expression of pity on his face. "You really are remarkably obtuse, Weasley." My father _owns_ this school! The Board of Governors is completely in his pocket. If anyone will be expelled, it will be you, for daring to raise your wand against me."

"We'll see about that. But, in the meantime, I promise, if you ever so much as _look_ at this girl again, her brothers and I will make sure you walk with a limp for the rest of your life."

"I _knew_ you wanted her, you know. Too bad I got to her first. Not exactly pure as the driven snow now, is she? And you'll always have to wonder if it is me she will be thinking of while she is rutting with you in whatever pathetic hovel you will live in."

Molly jumped off the table in an instant and smacked him across the face, leaving a fiery handprint. "_You pig!_ You're not fit to lick his boots! I highly doubt that this good man, my _friend_, for your information, can only get it up after he has just _tortured_ a poor defenseless creature. Nor do I think you will hear about him fucking the 'Hogwarts Whore' because he can't get any better."

Arthur had trouble stifling a smile at this. "Well, will you listen to that, Malfoy? _She knows_. She knows about your little hobby and your big, important friends. So, now there are two people at this school, outside of Slytherin, that have discovered that you are a Death-Eater-in-Training. I'm sure that the Ministry would _love_ to hear about this.

"Why don't you try to prove it!"

"You leave her alone, and we will keep your little secret…_for now." _Holding up Lucius' wand, he said, "You will be able to pick this up tomorrow, in Dumbledore's office. I would think up a good story if I were you. I have heard rumors that he can read minds."

He turned to Molly. "Shall we?"

Molly's eyes widened and she blurted out, "Arthur! He has my wand!"

Arthur spun around just as Lucius had risen to his feet and pulled Molly's wand from his robe. Muttering an incantation that Molly couldn't understand, he waved his wand and Lucius stumbled back, covering his nose with his hands. Green slimy things seemed to be coming out from between his fingers, forming into what looked like large bats, which swooped back and attacked his head.

Molly scrambled to retrieve her wand. She watched Lucius with an expression of revulsion. "Wait a minute, aren't those…"

"Come on, Molly, let's leave him to his new friends."

o00o

Before they came anywhere close to the common room, Arthur guided her into another unlocked classroom. Once there, he locked the door, and she felt somewhat surprised to realize that it didn't make her remotely nervous. "I just wanted to take a closer look at you, to see if you are all right. Did he hit you?"

"No, he didn't get a chance to do much damage. Oh, Arthur, if you hadn't come…" She found her eyes filling with tears. All of the adrenaline that had been pulsing through her body suddenly dissipated, along with her righteous anger, leaving her feeling weak and terrified.

Arthur pulled her into an embrace and let her sob against his narrow chest, patting her back and murmuring softly.

"I'm so stupid!" she wailed.

"Don't ever let me hear you say that again, Molly. He is a remarkably accomplished liar and manipulator, who is used to blinding people with his wealth and consequence. You had the brains and courage to see him for what he is, eventually, and to break away from him immediately thereafter. And, from what I saw, you fought him like a lioness. You have _nothing _to be ashamed of."

"If you hadn't found me…How did you find me?"

"I had a feeling he would do something like this. He's always been a sore loser. I was in the library when you left in such a hurry, and I followed you out as quickly as possible. I went with a hunch the rest of the way, and kept trying locked doors."

"Oh, Arthur, how can I ever thank you enough…"  
His ears turned bright red and he looked away, murmuring, "Let's see if we cant get you looking a little more presentable, Molly."

She glanced down at the ragged state of her blouse. For the second time in a month she realized that she was giving this young man a clear view of her bra. "I must have left my robe in the Library…"

"Why don't you take mine…wait a minute, that's no good, you'll trip all over them! I know, let me give you my shirt. You can tuck it in and roll up the sleeves and no one will notice the difference. And I'll just wrap my scarf around my neck and no one will notice I'm not wearing a shirt under my robe. After that, we'll see if we can't do something about your hair."

"Arthur, you're an angel," she said, and for the very first time noticed how gloriously blue his eyes were.

o00o

Lucius, lurking in the shadows of a clump of trees, watched the redheaded pair stroll along the lakeshore. He was startled to feel a strong hand clap over his shoulder. He glanced at it warily and saw that it was covered with freckles. His heart seemed to leap up into his throat, and he gulped, audibly. When he felt another hand, nearly identical, on the opposite shoulder, he felt his stomach fall somewhere around the vicinity of his knees.

"What have we here, Gideon?"

"Looks like a Peeping Tom to me, Fabian."

"I do believe you are right!"

"Come and take a walk with us, Lucius."

He felt the terrifying sensation of two nearly identical wands poking into his ribs, and found himself being led deep into the forest.

"Yes_, Lucy_, we've been looking forward to having a chat with you for months."

"But we're somewhat shy, you see…"

"Don't feel comfortable in crowds…"

"And you seem to always travel in a pack, these days…

"Never could catch you alone…"

"Until today…"

"Lucky for us…"

o00o

It wasn't until nearly three weeks had passed that Lucius was able to leave the hospital wing. Oddly enough, he did walk with a slight limp for the rest of his life, something that he never forgave, or forgot. He covered it up by using an elegant ebony walking stick topped with a silver serpent's head.

o00o

Six years later, Lucius was buying a new set of dress robes at Madam Malkin's when he spotted a familiar redhead passing the shop window. He followed her at a distance, overcome by painful reminiscence. Her hair was a little shorter now, the cut was a bit more stylish, but the colour, the texture was just as it had been the last time he had plunged his hands into it. Her robes were brightly coloured and cut to skim her curves, rather than the utilitarian voluminous black robes he had always seen her in. Her curves were even more enticing, more womanly than before. He fought the urge to run up to her and grab her arm. The last six years had brought massive changes to the wizarding world. He reflected, with pride, that he was becoming a very powerful individual in the rapidly expanding New Order. She may have had time to think a little harder about her priorities, her definition of right and wrong, good and evil. If he approached her today, with the correct balance of tenderness and altruism, would she be willing to admit that she misjudged him in her naivete?

His father had been after him to marry since the day that he had left Hogwarts. Nobody had managed to live up to his ideal since Molly. Perhaps there was a reason; perhaps fate was giving him a second chance…

Molly turned in his direction and smiled warmly. His heart stopped for an instant, but then a man stepped in front of him, holding the hands of two red-haired little boys. The man was tall, skinny, and auburn-haired, and he kissed Molly and placed his hand possessively on her swollen abdomen. Together they walked into the ice cream shop, radiating joy and laughter. They never even noticed the elegant man staring after them, seething inwardly and vowing to do whatever was in his power to ruin their lives.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**_A/N: I spent a lot of time contemplating the ages of my charaters (or rather, Jo's characters) and I ended up having to fudge a bit. My explanation for this is that Lucius, being the vain man that he is, shaved a few years off of his age for the newspaper article. So, for the purposes of my story, which I imagine taking place around 1968, Arthur and the Prewett brothers are in their seventh year, Molly is in her sixth, and Lucius is in his fifth. I hope you enjoyed my imaginings about the root cause of Arthur and Lucius' animosity. It gives subtext to so many of their encounters, particularly the one in Chamber of Secrets. (and explains why Lucius picked on Ginny, the spitting image of her mother) I would love it if you let me know what you think._**

**_P.S. If anyone finds Molly and Arthur a little out of character, I will point out, as a parent, that having kids changes you, and having seven kids would change you a lot. I imagine that the stress would bring out Arthur's eccentricities and Molly's protectiveness, particularly after what happened to her brothers. But Arthur and Molly's children are all funny, fiery, passionate and brave, so I put a little of each of their children's personalities into them, even Percy. (the prat) _**

**_Also, I imagined Gideon and Fabian as a cross between Gred/Forge and (Pandora J's) Charlie._**

**_Finally, kudos go to Possum 132 whose fantastic stories put the notion in my head that Unforgivables would give you a sexual rush. Brilliant, that one._**


End file.
